I plunged my hand deep into the snow in the alley outside my home, Uncle wouldn’t be happy if I brought in a gun and bullets. I then came to the realisation that I should just put everything I found in there. The money and the holy water both went into the small hole in the snow. I hoped that the holy water wouldn’t lose its effectiveness by being frozen. I took several fistfuls of snow and packed it into the hole, satisfied that no one will find it before I come back tomorrow. I quickly rounded the corner to enter my home, I waited outside the door for a moment and firmly shut my eyes and slowly turned the handle to open the door.

The door was pulled open, I had held onto the handle too hard and I had been pulled along with the door as it was thrown open towards me. I had been taken off my feet and had what little air I had left in my lungs forced out as I was sandwiched between the step railing and the door. A cold hand felt for my head from behind the door before firmly grasping my hair and pulling me into the flat. I heard the door slammed shut behind me, arcs of pain shooting into my head from my scalp.

“Uncle!” I try to call out, to try and get him to listen to me. I raise my arms to try and protect myself but I cough out as a fist is hurled into my stomach. My legs go limp and I struggle to breath or even support myself as I’m dragged out of the entryway into the living room.

“You’re late!” He snarled before throwing me to the floor, I didn't attempt to get up. A small smoldering fire lay in its pit, we’re having to ration wood so we don’t freeze. I peek at him through my arms.

“A-a monster.” I tried again, “A Werewolf.” I stammered. He paused at that for a moment. I quickly peered around the room and glanced at his chair, bottles of rum surrounded it, I braced myself for the inevitable.

“You’re a fuckin’ liar, just like your mother!” He shouted at me, spittle flying out of his mouth. “The fuckin’ whore.” He raged for a moment before pausing, seemingly coming to a realisation. “But I can fix it, you don’t have to be like her.” He wasn’t talking to me, he was convincing himself and I curled myself into a smaller ball to try and protect myself. I gave one last peek at him.

He stood over me, belt in hand, he wasn’t a large man. Skinny and thin by definitions, boney and pale hands, dark green eyes and black hair like mine only reflected my expression of fear back to me. I firmly closed my eyes again but started breaking down into a coughing fit.

“I do this because I love you Desmond.” Is what he said before the belt came down. I grit my teeth.

“I’m sorry!” I tried to apologise as loudly as I could.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“You can’t lie Desmond!” Uncle roared at me and brought it down upon me another time, the loud crack of the belt hitting against me, I couldn’t think. White hot pain lanced up my back from where he had it.

“You can’t be sinful like Her!” He screamed at me before driving his foot onto my head.

⥈

Pain is the first sense that came back to me, the dry ache of my throat and lungs were nothing in comparison to the pain from my head and back. I wasn’t on the floor anymore instead my head was resting on Uncle’s leg as he watched the charcoal slowly die out. I could see the floor where I had been and flecks of blood sprinkled across it like the dust, someone sensing I was awake Uncle began talking to me.

“You can’t be like your mother Desmond, you know that right.” It wasn’t a question but more of a statement.

“Yes Uncle.” I murmured not daring to move, trying to keep myself from coughing to not annoy him.

“She was sinful so God killed her for it, I’m… It’s for your own good Desmond.” He tried to explain.

“I understand.” I whispered.

“I love you Desmond.” He stated, I could feel him shift and look down at me. I knew what would happen if I didn’t do exactly what he expected of me, I turned as much as I needed, ignoring the shooting pain in my back as I twisted, the scabs tearing. I looked him in the eyes.

“I love you too Uncle.” I replied as convincingly as I could, he didn’t say anything for a moment and I couldn’t break eye contact, dark circles surrounded his sunken bloodshot eyes. I could smell the rum in his breath, a slight pervading odour of sweat as well. I’m not sure what he was looking for in my eyes but he must have found it, he started nodding, slowly but then more sure.

“I have to get ready for work, make sure you aren’t late for yours.” He ordered.

“Yes Uncle.” I replied, he didn’t like non-verbal acknowledgments, I moved out of his way and curled up on the other side of the sofa, my knees high against my chest and arms wrapped around my legs. I watched Uncle from just over my legs get ready for his work and leave.

As soon as he did, tears wouldn’t stop falling from my eyes, my breath hitched as I tried to breath. I didn’t know why this was happening, my body just reacting without my control. I began retching once more but I hadn’t eaten since yesterday and only a small amount even then, there was nothing to vomit.

I sought to control my body, make it stop shuddering, coughing, crying, but it wouldn’t do anything I told it to. Everytime I failed to reach control it just got worse, hot furious anger bubbled up in my chest. This is all Mother’s fault, she was a sinner so that makes me a sinner as well, she died for being one so that means I’ll die eventually as well. I then remembered what had happened last night with the Hunter and the Werewolf, I rose out of the sofa as quickly as I could manage before hobbling to the pile of snow I had hid the Hunter’s equipment.

Digging my hands through the cold snow I panicked for a moment when I couldn’t find it, I began throwing the snow off the top until I found it all again, I didn’t need to worry about anyone seeing me, the morning sun hadn’t risen yet and none of the street lights around me were lit. I ended up finding the Hunter’s badge first.

Looking at it first I tried to make out the engraving; a demon’s skull, its halo broken and formed into horns atop its head, where the neck would be is a large symbol of the Creator looking like it decapitated it.

I then realised that Hunters go to Paradise.